Teaching Jobs UK Salary Guide 2026: Pay Scales, London Weighting & Career Paths
Teaching jobs UK salary figures matter to every newly qualified teacher, experienced classroom practitioner and senior leader thinking about a career move. This 2026 guide breaks down pay scales for state schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, London weighting, leadership progression, supply rates, and the realistic routes you can take to grow your teaching jobs UK salary over a long and rewarding career.
Main pay scale 2026/27
Most state-funded schools in England follow the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), which sets six points on the main pay range (M1–M6) and three on the upper pay range (UPR1–UPR3). Early Career Teachers (ECTs) typically start on M1, with full main-scale teachers progressing yearly subject to satisfactory performance reviews.
Indicative national pay points in England and Wales for the 2026/27 academic year sit around the following levels (rest of England, outside London):
- M1 (ECT year 1): £31,650
- M2 (ECT year 2): £33,500
- M3: £35,400
- M4: £37,600
- M5: £40,200
- M6 (top of main scale): £43,600
- UPR1: £45,400
- UPR2: £47,100
- UPR3 (top of upper scale): £48,900
Academies and free schools are not legally required to follow STPCD, but the majority benchmark against it, which means your teaching jobs UK salary in those settings will usually be similar or slightly higher to attract talent.
London weighting & regional pay
Geography has a real impact on take-home pay. Teachers in and around the capital benefit from three London pay areas: Inner London, Outer London and the London Fringe. Indicative 2026/27 pay points include:
Inner London
- M1: £39,500
- M6: £51,600
- UPR3: £56,950
Outer London
- M1: £36,700
- M6: £48,900
- UPR3: £53,100
London Fringe
- M1: £32,750
- M6: £44,650
- UPR3: £50,000
Scotland operates a separate single national pay scale negotiated by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). Probationer pay starts around £33,400 with the top of the main scale around £49,500. Northern Ireland broadly tracks England and Wales but with separate negotiations. If you are weighing up living costs against pay, our guide to the best UK cities for jobs in 2026 compares earnings power across major regions.
Leadership and TLR payments
Once you progress beyond the upper pay range, the next step is the Leadership Pay Range, which covers heads of department, assistant heads, deputy heads and headteachers. The leadership scale has 43 points and is divided into ranges based on the size and complexity of the school. Typical indicative pay bands for 2026/27 include:
- Assistant headteacher: £52,000 – £72,000
- Deputy headteacher: £58,000 – £88,000
- Headteacher (small primary): £62,000 – £85,000
- Headteacher (large secondary): £90,000 – £135,000
- Executive headteacher / MAT CEO: £110,000+
Many teachers also receive Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments for taking on subject leadership, key stage coordination or pastoral roles. TLR1 awards typically range from £9,200 to £15,700; TLR2 awards range from £3,200 to £7,800; and TLR3 fixed-term awards range from £640 to £3,200. Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowances start at around £2,700.
State vs independent schools
Independent (private/public) schools set their own pay. Top-flight boarding schools in London and the Home Counties sometimes pay 10–30% above STPCD, plus accommodation, meals and reduced school fees for staff children. Heads of department at well-known independents can earn £60,000–£90,000, while heads of major independent schools can earn well above £200,000.
That said, pension provision is often less generous than the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in state education, and teaching loads and term lengths vary widely. When you compare your teaching jobs UK salary across sectors, always factor in pension, holidays and CPD opportunities, not just headline pay.
Further education and higher education
Further Education (FE) college lecturers earn from around £28,000 at entry and progress to £42,000–£48,000 for experienced lecturers, with advanced practitioner roles paying £50,000+. University lecturers (Grade 7–8) typically earn £42,000–£62,000; senior lecturers and readers earn £65,000–£80,000; professors typically earn £75,000–£110,000, with chairs at Russell Group institutions earning more.
Supply teaching rates
Supply (substitute) teachers in the UK are usually paid a day rate that varies by region, subject and agency. As a rule of thumb for 2026/27:
- Primary supply: £130–£170 per day
- Secondary supply (non-shortage subjects): £150–£200 per day
- Shortage subjects (maths, physics, chemistry, computing): £180–£240 per day
- Long-term supply (term contracts): often paid to scale
PAYE umbrella arrangements reduce take-home pay through fees and employer NI, so always check whether the agency offers direct PAYE. Long-term placements (usually four weeks or more in the same role) should be paid to scale under the Agency Workers Regulations.
Routes into teaching
The most common routes into teaching in England include:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) — one-year university-led training with bursaries up to £30,000 in shortage subjects.
- School Direct (salaried and tuition fee) — school-led training, with salaried placements paying around M1.
- Teach First — two-year leadership programme placing trainees in high-need schools.
- Apprenticeship route (Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship) — earn while you train.
Bursaries and scholarships have a real impact on early earnings. For 2026/27 the Department for Education typically offers tax-free bursaries of around £30,000 for physics, chemistry, computing and maths trainees, and lower bursaries for languages, geography, design & technology and biology. Tuition fee loans are also available through Student Finance England.
How to boost your teaching jobs UK salary
Pay progression in teaching is no longer automatic, but there are practical levers that consistently raise total compensation:
- Move into a shortage subject. Physics, computer science and chemistry teachers command bigger bursaries and faster progression.
- Take on a TLR. Even a TLR2A worth £3,200 a year compounds significantly over a career.
- Move to London or a London Fringe school if your living arrangements allow. The uplift can be £5,000–£8,000 a year.
- Apply for leadership roles. Even an Assistant Head post can lift pay by £10,000+.
- Polish your applications. A clean, achievement-led CV beats a generic one every time. Our ATS-friendly CV guide will help.
Other practical considerations: the Teachers’ Pension Scheme remains one of the most valuable defined-benefit schemes in the UK, currently building career-average benefits with employer contributions of around 28.7%. That benefit is rarely reflected on payslips but adds tens of thousands of pounds of equivalent value over a career, so weigh it carefully when comparing your teaching jobs UK salary against private-sector roles.
If you are open to broader public-sector careers, you may also want to compare teaching with healthcare and finance routes. See our NHS nursing salary guide and accounting & finance jobs UK guide for like-for-like comparisons.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a UK teacher earn in 2026? Most newly qualified teachers in England start around £31,650, rising to £43,600 at the top of the main scale, with leadership roles paying £50,000–£135,000+.
Do private schools pay more than state schools? Headline pay at top independent schools can be 10–30% higher, but pensions and holidays differ; compare total reward.
How long does it take to become a teacher in the UK? A typical PGCE plus Early Career Framework (ECF) induction is around three years from start of training to full ECT completion.
Which subjects pay the highest bursaries? For 2026/27, physics, chemistry, computing and maths typically attract the largest tax-free training bursaries (up to around £30,000).
Ready to apply? Browse the latest education vacancies on our UK jobs board and shortlist roles that match your subject, region and target teaching jobs UK salary band.
